Summer law associates: offer rates

The blog Above the Law is tracking law firms which give permanent offers to 100% of their summer associates, before they head back to their third year of law school.

They compiled a similar list for 2011, and updated it here.

That update ends as follows:

One caveat: note that these 100 percent offer rates might include so-called cold offers, in which a firm makes an offer to a candidate, but suggests that perhaps the candidate should not accept it. E.g., “We’re making you an offer [so we can boast about our 100 percent offer rate], but we think you might be happier elsewhere [wink wink], so you might want to look into the 3L recruiting process [don't come here unless you want to work out of a utility closet].”

Cold offers are frowned upon in many quarters. Here is what NALP has to say about them:

11. Cold or Fake Offers

Q. It is reported that some employers give offers to summer associates with the understanding that the offer will not be accepted. What is NALP’s view of this practice?

A. NALP does not condone this unethical practice. Whether initiated by students to appear more attractive to future employers or by employers to enhance their offer ratios, the practice is fraudulent and unprofessional. NALP suggests that employers adopt a standard policy of extending or confirming offers in writing, signed by a representative of the organization, so that only legitimate offers are made.